Kilroy-Silk brings in Aitken’s adviser for Veritas

February 10, 2005
by Ian Hall

Robert Kilroy-Silk’s new political party Veritas, the Latin word for ‘truth’, is using the PR woman for Jonathan Aitken – the Cabinet minister jailed after admitting lying during
a failed libel action – to handle its own PR.

Ashley Merry told PRWeek her role was caretaker Veritas press officer and she was ‘greatly enjoying the PR challenge’ at Veritas – which pledges to avoid other parties’ ‘lies and spin’.

Merry has also previously worked as a researcher on My Life with Jeffrey – a Channel 4 documentary on Mary Archer, wife of the millionaire novelist who was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice in 2001.

Merry became Aitken’s PA more than five years ago and now advises him and his family on PR.

She said: ‘The Veritas PR team will need to grow and evolve to embrace the fight we have on our hands.’

Merry was not involved in UKIP, the party Kilroy-Silk quit to form Veritas, but was drafted in as she ‘knew Robert socially’, she said.